I know it won't happen, Leo. Most of the Brexit leaders are Unionists. However, I sense that many Brexit supporters would be happy if England ditched the rest of the UK because they object to 'subsidising' them just as they object to 'subsidising' the poorer regions of the EU.
Yes it has been more or less said hasn't it..... might as well just put a wall round London.... oh wait a minute London voted remain.... and the second wealthiest city in the UK.... Leeds.... oh that voted remain too..... Both cities that run the financial sector in this nation
And Liverpool.... one city that really does not listen to murdoch's nonsense, or rather doesn't read it.
It sounds as if Fox has come back from the USA with his tail between his legs. On Monday, US trade representative Michael Froman told Mr Fox that the two countries cannot launch negotiations on bilateral trade and investment deals until more is known about the UK's future relationship with the EU. Not a good start when you are telling people that we don't need the EU and the US might see the EU market is larger.
I wonder what Forage will make of this? Oh no he is probably at home gloating on what he has made by his currency deals...
Britain has suffered a bigger fall in real wages since the financial crisis than any other advanced country apart from Greece, research shows. A report by the TUC, published on Wednesday, shows that real earnings have declined more than 10% since the credit crunch began in 2007, leaving the UK equal bottom in a league table of wages growth. Using data from the OECD’s recent employment outlook, the TUC found that over the same 2007-2015 period, real wages grew in Poland by 23%, in Germany by 14%, and in France by 11%. Across the OECD, real wages increased by an average of 6.7%. The TUC found that between 2007 and 2015 in the UK, real wages – income from work adjusted for inflation – fell by 10.4%. That drop was equalled only by Greece in a list of 29 countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The UK, Greece and Portugal were the only three OECD countries that saw real wages fall. The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, who was a vocal backer of the campaign to remain in the EU, said the figures highlighted the strains on household finances even before the vote for Brexit. “Wages fell off the cliff after the financial crisis, and have barely begun to recover,” she said. “People cannot afford another hit to their pay packets. Working people must not foot the bill for a Brexit downturn in the way they did for the bankers’ crash.” Earnings have been rising faster than prices since the sharp drop in inflation caused by the collapse in oil prices two years ago, but the TUC warned that households risked a fresh squeeze on their spending power after the vote to leave the EU unless the new government stepped up investment to create better-paid jobs. The Treasury said the TUC study did not fully reflect living standards, which were also affected by changes to taxes and benefits. It added that the number of people in work had been rising and was above the levels of early 2008, when the economy entered its longest and deepest postwar recession. “This analysis ignores the point that following the great recession the UK employment rate has grown more than any G7 country, living standards have reached their highest level and wages continue to rise faster than prices – and will be helped by the new national living wage.” However, the Treasury added: “There is more to do to build an economy and country that works for everyone not just a privileged few, and we are determined to do exactly that.” The Institute for Fiscal Studies, which specialises in analysing living standards, said the prolonged period of depressed earnings had been one of the features that made both the recession of 2008-09 and the period since unusual. Rob Joyce, an IFS researcher, said: “It is not just unusual in international terms but also unusual historically for the UK. Real wages have fallen and haven’t recovered. That’s striking.”
So far we have seen May talking to Germany, France, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and in every case there have been problems that will be very difficult to resolve. Living standards are dropping, the pension funds are warning they may not be able to pay out what people expect, and the Chancellor is warning about very choppy seas ahead. When will we start to see the upside of this referendum? The "best possible deal" is not a phrase that sounds very convincing.
Unfortunately there are lies, damned lies and statistics. I would not believe statistics issued by the TUC - no doubt taken selectively from many sources and using timescales to suit a case. It just does not pass the wake up and smell the coffee test for me. Our economy has performed better than most since the recession and as also said above it ignores many factors like tax and benefit changes. I suspect most people in Europe would look at us and wish they could have recovered as well. Take a year different starting point, or make one of several changes to the statistical database and you would get an entirely different result. Of course the UK has not shone in the last 7 years - but it was in the biggest mess Labour were able to devise -remember the note "there is no money" It takes years to correct a wholescale economic mess - as we will see from Brexit - if ever we can repair that.
Upside from the referendum? You're 'avin' a larf. Yesterday was the warning that immigration will likely suffer a short time spike - oh really ?
There is an upside Leo, but not for the British. The 'upside' is that the Americans are not so interested in TTIP now, because the market may become 17% smaller as a result of Brexit. The other plus is that the voting balance in the Brussels parliament may alter as a result of Britain's absence ie. it will move more leftwards, making many environmental reforms, improvements in worker's rights more possible to get through. It will also change the balance against the 'neo liberal' 'pro austerity' club which has had the upper hand, through British voting in Brussels - paving the way for much needed investments in Southern Europe. This balance could be helped even more if we manage to change the German government next year.
Not surprising that immigration will be on the rise with all of these foreign footballers getting work permits.
I think TTIP was always in choppy waters. As for EU Parliament vortes I somehow doubt that much will happen that would be different. More change will come about due to fear of other scepticism of the EU
Not much change Leo, but the European Parliament will lose 43 MEP's from the Conservatives and from Ukip, which must be cause to celebrate.
I thought that the EU was going to roll over and have it's tummy tickled seeing as they need us more than we need them. It doesn't seem to be happening with this appointment. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36901875 Looks more like a baring of teeth.
Call me old fashioned but as something over 40% of our trade is with the EU and not one EU country has more than 5% of their trade with us I failed to see how leaving the EU would hurt them more than us. Collectively it is true they export more to us than we do to them - but each country will only look at its own interests and not one of them is remotely as affected as we are. In the worst scenario that alltrade actually ceased (whichof course it never would) then we would lose 40%+of our trade whilst none of them would lose a significant amount that could not easily be made up in their 450million remaining market. Brexiters were always short of reasoning skills - damn I forgot Mercedes Benz and BMW are going to tell tehEU what they must do
Vince Cable Michel Barnier #EU #brexit negotiator. Suave, clever, wise, vast knowledge. Will run rings round UK ministers.
